Are You Doing Enough To Keep Your Startup Secure This Winter?

The days are getting cooler; the evenings are drawing in. It’s become acceptable to turn the heating on, at least for awhile. Pots are bubbling on the stove at home, and the crock pot has come out of storage. For men, the iron can go and stay in the cupboard for a while – putting a sweater over your shirt means that creases aren’t a worry. Yes, it’s fall; and before too long it will be winter.

Winter means different things to different people. Chestnuts roasting, open fires, maybe the first snow isn’t too far away. It’s time to think about Christmas shopping if you haven’t already done yours. And who’s that peering through the window of your darkened business premises? It’s the holiday burglar, come to ruin the season for you and all your employees!

Yes, we all have reason to enjoy the good things about winter. It’s a very cozy season if done right, for sure. But along with those positive aspects, there are things you have to be ready for. The truth is that as those nights get darker, opportunities for break-ins and burglaries increase. Wherever you look, the numbers are the same: property crime spikes when the cover of darkness allows.

For established, large businesses, it is not a non-existent threat. However they have long-established protocols, sometimes a 24-hour business day and security guards. If you’re just getting started, you need to put some thought into this. How strong is your premises security? We’re now in full view of the time of year where it is going to face its sternest tests. Are you confident it will pass them?

It is true that much of the crime against businesses in the present day has taken a more modern bent. But the rise in cybercrime does not mean that opportunistic thieves have hung up their gloves and redirected operations. It means that you have another ball to keep your eye on. And while you should definitely be tightly focused on what can be stolen from your servers, you would also do well to look outside.

1. Lighting: Deny The Burglar Their Best Friend

If someone wants to break into premises and steal physical items, they will be motivated to do so unseen. This is why winter is such a profitable time for them. It may be a little cold for hanging around surveillance premises, but it’s dark. And burglars love the dark. If they can move quietly, they can do quite a lot without raising attention. But if your exterior premises are well-lit they may think twice.

Keeping the lights on in the office is a double-edged sword. It won’t exactly save money on electricity, and it’s not great for the planet. Although it discourages some burglars, the more brazen will see it as a shop window – they can take stock of what they’re after and plan a path.

2. Security Personnel: No Burglar Wants Company

If you were trying to break in and steal a lot of expensive equipment, you’d want to have privacy, wouldn’t you? It’s an entirely personal thing. It’s very off-putting to have someone walk around the corner with a dog and ask what you’re doing. Puts you right off your burgling. And that’s what you need to count on for your business premises. Having security equipment is one thing; an actual person is better yet.

Ironically, hiring security personnel is a process that needs to be approached with a degree of caution. Make sure that anyone you hire is accredited fully in line with industry standards. Anyone can call themselves a security expert. But there’s a difference between a security guard and a man with a club who likes to fight. Security means doing things the right way.

3. Recording Equipment: Smile, You’re On Camera!

Camera equipment on your premises provides a dual service in defense against opportunistic crime. First of all, if the burglar knows it is there, they are liable to think twice and go somewhere that will be an easier target. Secondly, if don’t know it’s there – or try anyway – it will make them easier to identify if they are successful. Check the latest models from Security Camera King and other stockists to see how far security has come.

One key point to note about security cameras is that they should be discreet. Not because you don’t want the thieves to know they are there – ideally, your building should be adorned with signs saying they are. Naturally positioned security cameras can be tampered with. If a burglar knows where they are and can evade or break them, all they are is a very expensive box.

4. Locks: Strong And Sturdy Wins The Race

Yes, of course, your doors should have locks. You know that, and we know you know. What’s more important is the quality of those locks. They need to be up-to-date and have a few different elements to them. Burglars tend to know a bit about locking systems, and how to overcome them, so you need to have a few arrows in your quiver here.

Firstly, the locks need to be sturdy. Anything that can be cut through with a blowtorch is useless. Secondly, you need something that can only be accessed digitally. A keycard system for employees means that the doors will stay locked unless someone has a keycard. Thirdly, if you only have a keycard system, you may end up being burgled by an employee. So there should be a master combination lock – and only management can have the combination.

It is fair to say that, by adopting only one of the above elements of security, you will leave yourself vulnerable in other ways. A true and reliable security system requires a combination of ideally all of the above. Your business is important, and you’ve put a lot of effort into building it up. To see it damaged by someone breaking in and taking important items would be dreadful. Don’t let it happen to you. Be safe, be secure.